Speed is one of the biggest benefits associated with AI. It can process large amounts of information and complete certain tasks much faster than traditional manual methods.
But in legal services, being fast isn’t enough. The information still needs to be accurate and reliable.
So, can AI deliver both?
It can, but it depends on the task, the technology being used and the checks in place.
Speed and accuracy don’t have to be opposites
There’s often an assumption that doing something faster means compromising on quality. With AI, that doesn’t have to be the case.
For straightforward tasks, AI can work through large amounts of information quickly and reduce the amount of manual work involved.
But not every task should be treated in the same way. More complex work, particularly where the consequences of an error are greater, will naturally need more scrutiny and human involvement.
The goal isn’t to make everything as fast as possible. It’s to save time where it makes sense without compromising the quality of the work.
Where can AI save time?
One of AI’s strengths is its ability to work through large volumes of information quickly.
Depending on what it has been built to do, it can help with tasks such as:
- Organising and structuring information
- Summarising large amounts of content
- Finding relevant details within large volumes of information
- Extracting information for further review
- Helping with repetitive administrative tasks
For legal teams dealing with large amounts of documentation, this can reduce the time spent on manual tasks and leave more time for work that needs their expertise.
Faster doesn’t automatically mean better
Getting an answer quickly doesn’t mean it’s the right answer.
AI can make mistakes, particularly when information is incomplete or the task is more complex. So rather than asking how quickly AI can complete something, it can be more useful to ask:
How quickly can it complete the task to the standard required?
That puts the focus on getting a reliable result, rather than speed for the sake of it.
What affects AI accuracy?
There isn’t one thing that determines how accurate an AI system will be. Several factors can affect the quality of its results:
The Information it’s working with
If the information going into a system is incomplete, inconsistent or inaccurate, that can affect what comes out.
How the system has been built
The AI model itself is only part of the picture. How a system has been designed, configured and built around a particular task can all affect how well it performs.
How it has been tested
Claims about accuracy should be backed up by testing.
That testing should reflect the work the system will actually be used for and make it clear what has been measured. An accuracy percentage means very little without knowing what was tested and how.
Human review
For more complex or higher-risk work, human review remains important.
AI can help professionals work through information, but there will still be situations where judgement and expertise are needed to check the result or decide what happens next.
Why this matters in legal services
Accuracy matters when technology is being used as part of legal work.
In clinical negligence and personal injury cases, teams can be working with thousands of pages of medical records and other evidence. Small details can matter, so the information professionals are working with needs to be reliable.
AI can reduce the time it takes to organise, search and work through that information. But saving time shouldn’t come at the expense of accuracy.
The two should work together.
So, can AI be fast and accurate?
Yes, but speed and accuracy shouldn’t be assumed simply because a system uses AI.
How well it performs will depend on what it has been built to do, the information it is working with, how it has been tested and where human review is needed.
For legal teams, the real benefit isn’t simply doing things faster. It’s using technology to take time out of manual work while maintaining the standard the work requires.
Supporting better ways of working
At MedBrief, we’re focused on using technology to make complex medico-legal work easier and more efficient, while maintaining the accuracy and expertise it requires.
Explore our services and discover how MedBrief is helping legal teams work more efficiently.